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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24262285">Spell Merchant: Goblet-of-Ether</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avatar_Vyakara/pseuds/Avatar_Vyakara'>Avatar_Vyakara</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work, Spell Merchant - J. Wolanczyk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Amulets, Breakfast, Business, Colonialism, Gen, Magic, Poison</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:54:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,078</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24262285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avatar_Vyakara/pseuds/Avatar_Vyakara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>First in a series about the spells of Salvi–and who might use them, and for what purpose.<br/>There are strange things done by the Midnight Sun…</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Spell Merchant: Goblet-of-Ether</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class=""><strong><span class="da-editor-bold">Ḍaḍōlah, ḍaḍōla-</span></strong> (ni) <em><span class="da-editor-italic">goblet-of-ether</span></em>; used to create a crystalline structure out of nearby magic. Variations allow for customizable shapes, colours, and engravings; built-in toxin filters; and the ability to store various drinks in connected four-dimensional bags. Created in Year 1348 of the Salvian Long Count, by the Ḍalliyā Clan in Ogauri. Basic Price: ninety cacao beans.</p><p class="">–From <em><span class="da-editor-italic">The Incomplete Compendium of Salvian and Foreign Spells</span></em></p><p> </p><p></p><div class="">
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>* * *</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> </p>
</div><p class="">
  <em> <span class="da-editor-italic">May 3rd, 3754 LC</span> </em>
</p><p class="">
  <em> <span class="da-editor-italic">Visauru, The Threefold City</span> </em>
</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="">
  <p> </p>
</div><p class="">"Bloody price jumps," grumbled Dhona. "Ten cacao beans for a full meal…used to cost only six. Six! Even with the complimentary cup of plum juice."</p><p class="">"Way of the world, my friend," said Zuhng-Weh Pa, sipping his own drink–<span class="da-editor-italic">tea</span>, thank you very much–from one of the mugs.</p><p class="">It was a lazy morning in the Threefold City; halfway through the dry season, people were barely moving about their houses if they didn't have to, much less going out on the street. Even in little hostelries like this, where the <em><span class="da-editor-italic">breath-of-evening</span></em> spell ran all day long and the dining room opened onto the sea far below, you could feel the pull of the heat. Thankfully this was what the Salvians called a <em><span class="da-editor-italic">follower-first</span></em> period, where the Midnight Sun rose and set <span class="da-editor-italic">just</span> before the regular sun, so there wasn't much issue about the spells running out in the middle of the day.</p><p class="">Dhona harrumphed, and leaned back on his bench. His brown hands–too much brown, too little red to mistake him for a Zanguenese man–rubbed coal-black eyes. "Anyway, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?"</p><p class="">"Yes, I did." Pa took another sip of his tea. "I think I may have a contract for you."</p><p class="">Dhona tilted his head. "Whose rules? My people's, or yours?"</p><p class="">"It's about your clan spell," said Pa.</p><p class="">"My people's, then," sighed Dhona. "You know, for a minute, I was almost hoping you had something challenging."</p><p class="">"Personalized drinking glasses for the Embassy Staff? Surely that's a challenge?" teased Pa.</p><p class="">"<em><span class="da-editor-italic">Hmph</span></em>. Hardly. It's been the Ḍalliyā clan's specialty for centuries."</p><p class="">"And you're the only member of that clan in Visauru who's done any research into modern poison detection."</p><p class="">Dhona narrowed his eyes. "It's a standard precaution, back from the old days. No good someone getting sick from freshwater and all that."</p><p class="">"And modern poisons? The unusual ones, the things that you're not likely to find anywhere except in a city that's as close to the centre of the known world as anyone would like to admit? Toxins from faraway plants and animals? <em><span class="da-editor-italic">Magical</span></em> poisons?"</p><p class="">"I know what you're really asking me," said the sorcerer, quietly. "And you need to know now that I can't guarantee that. I'm not part of the conversion effort for the natives, and I'm not part of The Project either. I can't create a cure for the embassy staff turning into zombies. I just make cups."</p><p class="">"And I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you whether or not it's possible to make a…what's the word, a panacea? For anything that might be dangerous."</p><p class="">"The only way to do <em><span class="da-editor-italic">that</span></em>, Mr. Zuhng-Weh, is to implant a bio-stabilizer that kicks in the second the charm is activated and sets up a thaumic feedback relay until the exorcists can get in and clean the soul up. And to be active all the time? That's going to be expensive. <span class="da-editor-italic">Very</span> expensive. Not just to buy, but to use. Far be it from me to refuse your money, but it's not very fair to set even an embassy up in that much power-debt."</p><p class="">"Believe me when I tell you," said Pa, "that the ambassador will pay. She had quite a shock yesterday morning when that raiding party attacked the compound."</p><p class="">Dhona snorted. "And here I thought you Berserkers weren't afraid of anything."</p><p class="">"Anything we can buy wholesale or crush to a pulp? Not at all. It's the spiritual dangers we worry about." Pa frowned. "And this river has more of those than we'd care to admit."</p><p class="">"It is the river of the dead," yawned Dhona, stretching. "Fine. I can cook something up. But it won't be fast, and it's looking like four thousand cacao beans per glass, not to mention a likely four to five beans per use."</p><p class="">Pa was good at currency conversion. It came with the background. "Those are terms I'm willing to negotiate."</p><p class="">"I'll bet you are," said Dhona, wryly. "Ah, well. Here come our refreshments."</p><p class="">He snapped his fingers, and the glow from the snail-shell decreased. A rather harried-looking young Kwehnu woman bustled in, carrying a crystal jug of thick purple liquid.</p><p class="">"Your juice, sir," she said, in halting Jasmayan Salvian. "Breakfast will be along shortly."</p><p class="">"Bless you, my child," said Dhona warmly, although he couldn't have been more than ten years older. "Come and take a drink with us."</p><p class="">The Salvians didn't really understand market value, thought Pa, for all their talk of rates and fluctuating prices. Still halfway stuck in antiquated mindsets about barter, for one thing. Dhona wasn't flirting with the dark woman (his husband–wife–spouse–<span class="da-editor-italic">they</span> certainly wouldn't approve), he was giving her a tip in the only way he could.</p><p class="">You couldn't give the Kwehnu magic, in case it ended up being a security issue. And Salvians <span class="da-editor-italic">had</span> to obey the laws; there was something slightly eldritch about the whole deal, something like the stories of the Magi from the far southeast. But there was nothing in the tightly-bound Salvian rules about <em><span class="da-editor-italic">sharing</span></em> magic with them, for a time.</p><p class="">Pa watched now as Dhona drew a perfect circle on the table, then added little squiggles to it–writing a command. Finally, he swiped his hand right, and the glowing symbol rose, crunched in on itself–and became a beautiful black goblet, in that imitation iron style the natives seemed to like.</p><p class="">"That'll last a week," he said. "Don't lose it, now," he added, waggling a finger.</p><p class="">The Kwehnu woman looked like she wanted to say something, but appeared to think better of it and said, "Thank you, peninsular sir. Shall I pour?"</p><p class="">"Please."</p><p class="">Dhona's own glass shimmered into life beside them: a simple shape, a regular drinking cup, but looking like it was made of crystallized light. For all Pa knew, it was.</p><p class="">"A little early in the morning, perhaps," said Pa, pouring for himself and the woman, "but perhaps a toast?"</p><p class="">"To business," agreed Pa, raising his teacup in a mock toast. "And to drinking."</p><p class="">"To drinking!"</p>
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